Your Health – Good Mornin’

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It’s polite to begin a conversation by introducing oneself. Since I consider this medical column to be a conversation, that’s what I would like to doâ introduce myself.

It might appear that this conversation is one-sidedâ I talk, you listen. But eastern Colorado is a small community. I expect I will bump into many of you one way or another. When I do, feel free to engage in your half of the conversation.

My name is J. R. Waggoner. I have recently joined Erin Hieb and Mike Manley as a member of the on-campus medical staff of Weisbrod Hospital. Prior to coming to Eads, I practiced family medicine for thirty years in Aurora, Colorado. I was one of the founding partners of the Aurora Family Practice Group.

I graduated from Wheat Ridge High School, did my undergraduate work at Princeton University, went to the University Of Colorado Medical School, and did my family practice residency at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Denver. I am board certified in family medicine.

So much for the diplomas.

I have discovered that there are two questions most people would like answered once they have established the validity of those diplomas. First, how long do I plan to stay in Eastern Colorado? Second, why in the H E double Q did I decide to come out to this wind blown, often too hot, many times too cold, and always a little dusty part of Colorado?

Or, to rephrase the second question, what’s wrong with you, i.e. me?

The answer to the first question is at least 18 months. That’s the length of my present contract. My guess is that I’ll be here considerably longer.

As to why I’ve decided to stay here, I’ll be honest. You people blindsided me.

It started the first day I was here. Everyone I encountered waved at me. At first, I thought I had been mistaken for someone else. When it continued through the second day, I realized that everybody waved at everybody.

You may be saying to yourself, “Yah, so what?” I can assure you, folks in the big city don’t wave at each other. Any gesture they might offer acknowledging another’s presence consists of one with a far different message than that conveyed by a wave that says, “Howdy. How you doin’?”

Waving was the first sneaky thing you people did. Pretty soon, that simple act of friendliness had me smiling.

You were no less sneaky at work. After a few days of working with patients in the Weisbrod nursing home, I discovered that because there aren’t a lot of people in Eads, often times, staff had to take care of people they knew, even family members.

That would never have happened in the big city. Taking care of someone you knew meant that there was a chance you would lose your professional detachment. As a matter of fact, as a doctor, I was taught that taking care of a family member or a friend was probably malpractice.

But in Eads, CNAs and RNs routinely cared for friends and relatives. And the compassion and care they gave patients was stunning. Not hard to see whyâ it was derived of love. The surprising part was that the care was also very competent. It seemed that everyone wanted to not only do their job with compassion. They wanted to do it well.

What a sneaky thing to do to a doctorâ put him some place where he can participate in care that is loving, competent, and not dehumanized. Like I said, I was blindsided.

At this point, I can’t claim to have earned membership in your community, but I’m working on it. For example, I have yet to master one of the classic Western waves. It’s a gesture made with one hand draped over a steering wheel. The driver nods and raises his or her index finger acknowledging a driver going the opposite way. The head nod is quick and almost imperceptible.

I salute those of you who perform this maneuver with elegance and timing. I’m working on it, but I’m still a klutz. Instead of saying, “Howdy,” I think my wave suggests there is something wrong with the other person’s vehicle because it’s often received with a sudden glance over a shoulder akin to the way someone would check to see if his vehicle is on fire.

Like I said, I’m working on it.

Dr. Waggoner specializes in family practice at Weisbrod Hospital in Eads and enjoys writing about health related topics. The Lamar Ledger is pleased to welcome him as a contributing columnist.